The Lost Girl

Alvina and the young men. But she was most careful never to give any room for scandal. The young men might not

be when I have left it," she said to

this bad cold in some places, you might

his Woodhouse? Oh no! You are not Woodhouse. On the contrary, I think it is unki

ote of int

Woodhouse much more

vi

I see it. Why don't you go

to marry me,

ingly, with shrewd black ey

they? You are not bad looking, on

na. Alvina laugh

body?" persi

a confused laugh into Madame's strict black eyes. "You see I

llid, waxy countenance, in which her black eyes were like twin swift ext

d you? But there are other men besides the

them, do I?"

. But sometime

between the two wo

Madame, "are so pra

d Alvina. "But they're not half so

cure-is it not an interesting book? And is she not always too practically practical. If she had been impractically practical she coul

said

ubles, merely forgot them, and been happy enough. I am a woman who says it. Such ideas they have are not tragical. No, not at all. They are nonsense, you see, nonsense. That is all. Nonsense. Sue and Anna, t

English,"

But you are not necessarily so n

vina. "But I don't know w

y never understand. But I like

han I," sa

heart, and not only from the head. You are not pr

en have good hearts

ractical with their kindness. But they have no heart in all thei

ee with you,

kind to me, and I thank you. But it is from the head, you

d laid them on her breast with a gesture of

hould never be half such a good business

siness-woman, good business-woman. Of course I am a good business-woman-of course! But-" here she changed her expression, widened her eyes, and laid her hand on her breast-"when the heart speaks-then

ellow eyes?" aske

a very faint, fine smile of derision. Yet for the

watchful eyes and her smiling, subtle mouth. "They are

sedly, feeling a blush burnin

be kind, and my head is old enough to be clever. My heart is kind to few people-very

ou," sai

ank you. It is not well

nfusion. She felt Madame

was a good satirical mimic, imitated him. Alvina happened to come into their sitting-room

s. And to Alvina: "Sit down, my dear, and s

st the wall and giggled continuously like some pot involuntarily boiling. Geoffrey spread his shut fists across the table and shouted with laughter, Ciccio threw back his head and showed all his teeth in a loud laugh of delighted derision. Alvina laughed also. But she flushed. There was a certain biting, annihilating quality in Louis' derision of the absentee. And the others enjoyed it so much. At m

ddenly Louis started and held up a warning finger. They all at once covered t

rd Mr. May's voice. "Your company is lively

k little step and h

," calle

poor Alvina lay back in her chair in a new weak convulsio

wing ceremoniously. "Excuse my intruding on your mirth!" He looked archly round. Alvina wa

good joke," he said.

as no joke. It was only Louis maki

d one," said Mr. May.

non-sensical mood of the moment. Won't you si

whiskey and wat

ecome polite. Geoffrey stared with his big, dark-blue eyes stolidly at the newcomer. Ciccio

"and are you satisf

. "Quite! The two nigh

ell

ton tells me I should not dan

knows," said

Madame. "I must do

t is for your goo

course! It is v

most kind-to every

very glad you have been such a goo

f I have mistaken my vocation. I should have

Madame. "But it i

igners, watching him

a mysterious thing. How do you feel, now? Do you f

d him with he

e driving us away. Perhaps we shall last for te

said Mr. May,

she said, n

said Mr. May, a

, no feeling of the heart, no appreciation of the spirit, cost them nothing of these. And so they like them, and they

to appreciate and t

-so! Just curiosity, impertinent curiosity. That's all. In all count

ure have you?" sai

apartment in Lausanne, or in Bellizona, and I shall be

m also," s

? An America

ish-Irish-

S

re gloomy in his life

was he to rest h

ishwégin's Wedding-" (with the white prisoner, be if said)-was to take the place of the previous scene. Max of cour

h was really very annoying. Geoffrey always fumed under it. But Ciccio it put into unholy, ungovernable tempe

and angry because Ciccio, who really was slow at taking in

d Ciccio, in his

? Why what did I say? Calf's-head I said. Pi

r to you?" said C

lout of a

, his brown hair seemed to rise erect from

e, from an uncivilize

th his neck stuck out, oblivious and convulsed with rage, stretching his neck at Max. All were in or

But Ciccio, stretching forward taut and immobile with rage,

, in English, turning to Mr.

f the shoulder, reeled round on top of Mr. May, whilst Ciccio sprang like a cat down from the stage and bounded across the theatre and out of the door

p-!" crie

eoffrey, as Louis sprang down after his friend. Th

started up and overturned her chair as Ciccio rushed pas

aw her, swerved, and hesitated, turned to leap over the seats an

Max, tu sais que je t'aime. Tu le sai

ut Louis was determined also, he wrestled as fiercely as Max, and at last the latter began

e fellows from the south, they are half children, half animal. They don't know what they are doing. Has he hurt yo

om under the edge of his waistcoat, on the shou

er, brother?" said

f his waistcoat and pushed back his shirt. A

bone isn't broken! Lift thy arm, frère-lift. It hurts yo

one broken, I

e hasn't done

agine he's gone?

shoulders, and paid no heed.

dame," said Mr. May, who was very fr

his shirt sleeves. She had taken his jacket and hat from the dressing-room

ings had told her it was the Italian, who had come in in his shirt-sleeves and gone out in his black coat and black hat, taking

it?" sh

rried explanat

? And now thou hast called him a dirty Italian, or a dog of an Italian, and he has behaved like an animal. Too much, too much of an animal, too little esprit. But thou, Max, art almost as bad. Thy temper is a devil's, which maybe is worse than an animal's. Ah, this Woodhouse, a curse is on it, I know it is. Would we were away from it. Will the week never pass? We sh

ar Madame, our Kishwégin. Let us never part. Max, thou dost not want to part, brother,

Max turned aside his face, with tears. Alvin

Madame came

cio will have gone, on to Knarborough or to Marchay. Geoffrey will go o

d Alvina. "He's sure to have noticed him, be

, while the others discussed among

d said that Ciccio h

ad. It was rai

ind him, in that great town. I am af

to speak to Geoffrey

were always g

eoffrey. He shrugged

ill perhaps wait for me at his cousin's in

ey had he?" a

r hands and lift

ows?" s

another country, they will not spend one sou if they can help. They are like

n you all without a

me, with a sort of st

such a thing. Bu

oint would

o doubt, to his cousin-and then to Italy, if he thinks h

to him," said M

know," said Madame,

houlders, and would not

t know. He will leave

n't know if he w

here to find him in K

, very much

t the station he will

ffrey was not goin

cutting through this

and see-and be back a

n'st find him, bring h

f kindness to

He departed on his nine mile rid

s places. It is a little more than a year since

nency. He knew Ciccio was dissatisfied, and wanted a change. He knew that Italy was pulling him away from the troupe, with which he had been associated now for three years

other lodging-houses. He went the round of associates known and unknown, of lodgings strange and familiar, of third-rate possible public houses. Then he went to the Italians down in the Marsh-he knew these people always ask for one another.

n downhill into the darkness of the industrial country. He had continually to cross the new tram-lines, which were awkward, and he had occasionally to dodge the brilliantly-illumi

He moved to his side of the road. The light approached very fast. It was a strong acetylene flare. He watched it. A fla

he yelled, dropping

wering shout, unmistakably I

d. The flare swung round, and Ciccio softl

said

Où va

aculated

sted a good deal in nois

ck?" asked

u been?" ret

king for thee. W

ront wheel at

me

H

ur

thi

s all

er

come bac

ccio shoo

ng. Wants thee

shook h

Cic'-" sai

shook h

" said

said Ciccio, with

t, and we'll c

ain shook

is it

did not

comrade," s

Ciccio, sligh

like to come wi

he

er. Thou'rt g

ows!-se

ke to g

Ciccio half

a few days,"

he

Knarborough. Go to

venti is ther

hink ab

o'cloc

hink ab

cio-eh?" Geoffrey

men leaned to each other and ki

rrow,

voir,

hich was rushing brilliantly up to him in the rain. Then he mounted and rode in the opposite dir

the news

tch him." And with t

es, sending a note to Alvina. A

?" said Madame. "Come.

back the naughty Cicci

ngth. Yes, you will?

d we will go now,

roperly dressed

said Madame. "

ey would meet him at

ive minutes

larly Italians. You must never let them think you have caught them. Perhaps he w

tramped the dreary, hideous streets of the manufacturing town. At the corne

ll go and drink coffee at the Geisha Res

waited wearily at th

urned, shaki

come?" cri

N

is going bac

Lond

an never trust them. I

uld see the beginnings of defection in h

e Natcha-Kee-Tawara, that i

ed her stolidl

o go with him?" s

ly, and his colour deepe

se these two nights? Where is your shame? Finish this week and then go, go-But finish this week. Tell Francesco that. I have finished with him

potted veil, and her trim black coat-and-skirt, stood there at the street-corner

d out of the doorway.

doesn't wa

t heel. Will no one beat him for me, no one? Yes. Go back. Tell him before he leaves England he shall feel the hand of Kishwégin, and it shall be heavier than the Black Hand. Tell him that, the coward, that causes a woman's word to be broken against her

Alvina. "I'll go.

you!" cri

ttle was in her eyes. "You'll come with

long narrow stair, covered with yellow-and-brown o

said, outsi

the curly vo

ting on a narrow bed, in a rather poor a

ing the Italian. He sat loose on the bed, a cigarette between his fingers, dropping ash on the bare boards between his feet. He looked up curiously at Alvina. She

of his cigarette with his little finger. She wondered why he wore the nail of his li

ged, never taking

is hands dropped between his knees, watching her,

d, as she stood with

She smiled stran

timidly, caught his brown hand in her own and lifted it towards her

oftening round eyes, the eyes of some animal which stares in one of its silent, gentler moments. And suddenly she kissed his hand, kissed it twice, quickly, on the fingers and the back. He

e door-handle, still holding

the door. He turned slowly, and taking his coat from a nail, slung it over his shoulders and drew it on. Then he picked up his hat, and put his foot on his half-smoke

very white under her spotted veil, her eyes very black. She watched Ciccio following behind Alvina in his dark, han

ome coffee." She had now put an inflection of tenderness into her voice. But her eyes were blac

rey passed on his bicycle, calling out

a black band above her brows. Her face was pale and full like a child's, but almost stonily expressionless

, the two of you?" she said, with an amiable i

iant, while Ciccio sat sheepishly, turning aside his du

ill with the amiable intonation and the same black, watching eyes

ing up at her with a narrow, cat

, aren't we, Miss Houghton, that Ciccio has come bac

ly glad,"

hear, you Ciccio. And you remember

the slow, derisive sm

slowly, with s

nds. We are all friends, aren't we, all the Natch

looking up at her with h

and the narrowed look in Ciccio's, as he glanced at her, showed another state behind the obviousness of the words. "And Miss Houghton is

one of the Natcha-Kee

hy not become one? W

the piano, perhaps do

What you say, Ciccio,

not one

owed his teeth b

it? Say then?

io, unwilling to

ea! We will think of it, and speak perhap

while Ciccio rode home on his bicycle. It was surprising

She had decided to dance the next night, the Saturday night. On Sunday the party

f finesse about his face. His skin was delicately tawny, and slightly lustrous. The eyes were set in so dark, that one expected them to be black and flashing. And then one met the yellow pupils, sulphureous and remote. It was like meeting a lion. His long, fine nose, his rather long, rounded chin and curling lips seemed refined through ages of forgotten culture. He was waiting: silent there, with something muscular and remote about his very droop, he was waiting. What for? Alvina could not guess. She wanted to meet his eye, to hav

e last evening, cast sharp glances at her. Alvina had avoided Madame as Ciccio

t once, and magically she cast her spell over them. It was all very well for Alvina to bang the piano crossly. She could not put out the glow which surrounded Kishwégin and her troupe. Ciccio was handsome now: without war-paint, and roused, fear

massive, male strength of the creature, her quivers of triumph over the dead beast, her cruel exultation, and her fear that he was not really dead. It was a lovely sight, suggesting the world's morning, before Eve had bitten any white-fleshed apple, whilst she was still dusky, dark-eyed, and still. And then her stealthy sympathy with the white prisoner! Now indeed she was the dusky Eve tempted into

nowing their end. Ciccio laughed in a strange way, as he wrestled with the bear, as he had never laughed on the previous evenings. The sound went out into the audience, a soft, ma

Madame." And

ve, Madame." She remained suspended motionless, suddenly wilt

e B

gin, a triumph electric as it should have been when she took the white man's hand and ki

say anything to Ciccio about his innovation into the

scene? It might have spoiled everything if Mad

Louis' French in Italian, "I a

Max heard

iccio and Geoffrey had already packed up the property, and left. Madame was tal

r week. I think we've done very well

ully," s

seemed to feel forlorn. Alvina was not attending to

e cam

she said, "time to sa

l after dancing

w. I shall be all right-thanks to you. I think your

himself away

no longer young, there

t thank you

you leave in

t rain, the young men will cycle-perhaps all

nd to say good-b

't disturb

e things-the kettle for the

ch-but don't trouble

hem-or one of

y good-bye to you al

ed round at

e two have gone. No! Well! W

ut n

n. Very well. Then au revoir

Alvina. Her colour

s there. After supper, when James Houghton had gone

ther looks rather s

o a long time," said

u think he

s and freezing in that box-office, and then the

can

ere's that place down

so too. So sh

Rollings. In the back yard the bicycles were out, glittering and muddy according to their owners. Ciccio was crouching mending a tire

side down, his chin tilted up at her. She did not know him thus inverted. Her eyes rested on his face, puzzled

carry back the things

her. He was wearing broken cycling shoe

ant to say good-bye to Madame.

r, the straight, powerful nape of the neck, the delicate shape of the back of the head, the black hair. The way the neck sprang from the strong, loose should

oung men were moving ab

Houghton!" called Mad

d, to find Ma

busy to move," said Madame, looking u

the way. But I wo

ry much. I feel you saved my life. And now let me give you one little token of my gratitude. It is not much, becaus

te bead moccasins, woven in a weird, lovely

ives them to you, because she is grateful to you fo

want to take the

t like th

lovely! But I don't wan

ive them. Hé?" And Madame pressed back the slippers, op

el they belong to Natcha-Kee-Tawara. And I don't wan

not rob Natcha-Kee-Tawara in ta

hey are much to

d Madame. "It

" said Alvina, la

moccasin was a little too short-just a littl

too short. Very well. I mus

Please don't find me anything.

n't want? Why? You don't want anything from Natc

anything, pleas

n't give you anything. I can't give you a

d herself again

rry you are goi

hall see you another time-hé? I shall send you a post-card. Perhaps I shall send one of th

ecked herself in time. "Don't buy anything. Send me a l

too had her avaricious side, and was glad to get back the slippers. "Very well-very well, I will do that. I will

aid Alvina, holding ou

rry you'r

Not so very far. Perhaps we shall see ea

once, kindly, from her inscrutable black eyes. A sudden unus

Natcha-Kee-Tawara. But we shall se

went to say good-bye to the young men, who were in variou

s it into place. He was quick and sure, much more capable, and even masterful, than you would h

t fin

plied force. What physical, muscular force there was in him. Then he swung round th

come now?"

n an old cloth. He went into the house, pulled on his co

you going?"

d his head t

y them, Miss Houghton

a

o collar on, and h

hastily. "He knows where the

. Allow me-" and he began to take th

ooked at

e said, as if wa

Alvina to Max. "Thank you ever

Italian, who was down at heel and encumbered with an armful of sick

So she showed the Italian into the sombre drawing-room, with its high black bookshelves with rows and rows of calf-bound volumes, its old red and f

much," she s

ps in a faint de

g," he

uncomfortably up to a

y mother,"

n at her, but

she said nervously. She stood loo

r part of his face, which he kep

eyes watching her reservedly, his mou

ng away?" she said, her wide

ded sl

o do it. I

atched her fixedly, with a slightly mocking

hall ever see you

answered, with a sly

-" a flush grew on her

cely audible st

ixedly, turning up the corners of his eye

xt week, eh? I

egar came through the door. He g

ouldn't imagine who it was." Sh

Alvina. "We brought

ome into the other room, to

bow to Alvina, and a still slighter to Miss Pinnegar, he was

going this morning,